Come Home for Advent! 

The first of the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous is to admit that you have a problem and are powerless over alcohol. The second is to accept that a Power greater than yourself can restore you to sanity. Both steps and, in truth, many of the other steps and traditions of AA revolve around the issue of control. What you can and cannot control. Believing in a higher power, whatever that higher power might be, requires us to relinquish control. In fact, I believe that one way to measure our faithfulness is the extent to which we believe and live into the fact that we are not in control.

And this is one of the most important reasons to participate regularly in worship. There is not a Sunday that goes by when you are not reminded of who is in control. God’s spirit will move, in ways sometimes imperceptible, but nonetheless impactful, to remind you that all the world’s problems, even your own problems, are not yours to bear alone. You will be reminded that God is the bearer and the redeemer of the world’s pain and sorrow. In worship, God’s spirit will find a way to remind you of the blessing that the One who is in control is a loving, merciful, gracious God. A God who wants nothing more than for you to remember that you are loved and cherished.

There is no better time to come to worship than during the season of Advent, when we eagerly anticipate and prepare for the coming of the Christ Child. The Christ Child, Emmanuel, God With Us. God came to us as an infant, to live in a world that both encourages us to believe we are in control and demoralizes us when some difficulty or suffering reminds us that we are not. God coming to us as an infant, in a state of absolute vulnerability, to parents burdened with the knowledge that they would be caring for the Christ Child, shows us that God understands completely what it is to be human. Mary and Joseph must have felt that everything was out of control when Jesus was born and afterwards when they were forced to flee as refugees to Egypt. And yet, all along the way, God reminded them that they were not alone. That the God who had chosen them was with them. That love would light their way.

The truth is, whether we feel out of control or in control, we need Jesus. We need to look with hopeful expectation to the manger, where we will meet again, the Savior of the world asleep on the hay. We need to gather with our fellow “out of control” and “in control” siblings in Christ, to be reminded that God is in control and God’s control is unchangeably rooted in love.

So, I encourage you to come home for Advent. To come and hear the good news of a God whose love and mercy goes with us wherever we go. Where together, we can journey to the manger by the light of God’s love, bringing with us, all the burdens that weigh us down. And when we finally arrive, we can sing together, in deep sorrow or in profound joy, that we are not in control, but that “he rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love, and wonders, wonders of his love.”

Grace and Peace,

Will

Celebrating Advent at FPC Greer

Advent is just around the corner! We have gathered resources that are great for celebrating the season at home. Look for the Advent Resource Table across from the church office near the Door B entrance.

Daily devotionals for the Advent season will be emailed from the church office beginning November 30th.

Adult Sunday School

Advent Studies

Sojourners: Angels of Christmas by Susan Robb. A four-week study exploring the angelic visits surrounding Jesus birth; J.S. Robinson: The Voices of Advent by Matthew Skinner. A study of various biblical texts that shape our preparations for Christmas; Explorers: It’s a Wonderful Life by Alan Vermilye. This study uses the classic movie to explore themes like the value of every life, spiritual wealth, and selfless love through Bible-based lessons and discussion. Conversations: continuing the study of the Bible book by book with a focus on the gospel of John; Sisterhood: Season’s Greetings: Christmas Letters from Those Who Were There by Ruth L. Boling. In this Advent devotional, twelve biblical characters share what Christmas meant to them through personal letters written to 21st-century readers.

Children & Youth News

Musicians’ Schedule for Joygift

5:00 p.m. - Handbells

5:30 p.m. - Choir & Instrumentalists

6:10 p.m. - Young Ladies’ Ensemble

6:30 p.m. Worship

Young Ladies' Ensemble - please meet this Sunday, November 23, at 10:00 a.m. in the children’s music room for our final rehearsal. We will sing for 11:00 a.m. worship this Sunday. We are also singing for Joygift on December 7 and 11:00 a.m. worship on December 14. Singers are asked to meet in the children’s choir room at 6:10 p.m. for Joygift.

Our next Guitar Sunday will take place on December 14 at 8:55 worship.

Tom and Kristin Cline

Stephen and Sarah Lythe

James and Irene Forbes

Johnny and Jonnie Sarvis

It's Not Too Late to Pledge

Thank you to everyone who submitted a 2026 pledge. It is not too late to turn yours in. You can email your pledge amount to our financial administrator, Christi Yenser, mail your pledge card to the church office, or place it in the offering plate.

FPC Greer Financial Summary

Year to Date Actual Income

as of 10/31/2025 = $715,547.00

Year to Date Budgeted Income

as of 10/31/2025 = $736,483.00

Variance = (-$20,936.00)

End of Year Giving - Items of Note

If you plan to make a contribution before the end of the year, you have several options:

1. You can place your donation in the offering plate any Sunday during the month of December.

2. You can drop your check off at the church office any time during office hours between now and 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31st.

3. You can mail your check to FPC; however, it must be postmarked by Wednesday, December 31st for the donation to show on your 2025 giving statement.

4. You can contribute online through your Realm account or by going to www.fpcgreer.org and clicking on the "Give" button at the top of the page.

If you have any questions about your contribution, please contact Christi Yenser at christiy@fpcgreer.org. 



Stock Donations - A "Tax-Wise" Way to Support the Church

If you plan to contribute a stock gift to the church between now and the end of the year, please reach out to our financial administrator, Christi Yenser, so that she can collect all of the needed information from you. If you have questions about donating stock to the church, Christi is happy to help. You can email Christi at christiy@fpcgreer.org or call the church office.



Thank you for your generous support of the

mission and ministry of FPC Greer!

Mission and Outreach News

Thank you for all of the ways this congregation supports the Backpack Buddies Pantry. As food costs rise, the need is ever greater and this important ministry of our congregation would not be possible without your help. 

We are currently providing weekend food for 71 students at Dunbar Child Development Center and Greer Middle. This adds up to 852 items each week going out of the pantry. We invite you to set up recurring donations through our Amazon wishlist that are shipped directly to the church.

Click HERE to shop the pantry wishlist.

You can also shop for items at the grocery store and bring them to the church. Needed items include applesauce and pudding cups, pop tarts, juice boxes, soups, small cans of vegetables and pasta entrees, individual snacks, and packets of grits and oatmeal.

Upcoming Fellowship Opportunities

Diana Babineau

Sarah Cannon

Bob Harrison

Beverly House

Arnette Johnson

Dave Orr

Tommy Williams

Look for the Christmas Card Box near the Door A entrance starting November 24th. You may use this to distribute Christmas Cards to the members of the FPC Greer family.

The next issue of First News is January 6. If you have content for the newsletter, please email it to Lisa Johnson at lisaj@fpcgreer.org by Monday, January 5.